Riley Keough is opening up about her former stepdad, Michael Jackson.
The “Daisy Jones & The Six” star’s mother, Lisa Marie Presley, was married to the musician from 1994 to 1996 following her split from Keough’s dad, Danny Keough.
However, during Presley and Jackson’s brief relationship, the actress, 35, claims she was unaware of any accusations against the “Thriller” singer.
“I was never told anything. It’s actually not something I ever asked as an adult,” Keough said during her appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast published on Wednesday. “I think it just was what it was. I don’t know, it just never came to mind, I guess.”
Before Presley’s romance with Jackson, she was married to Danny from 1988 to 1994. The pair also shared a late son, Benjamin, who died by suicide at age 27 in 2020.
“I would imagine that my dad was really heartbroken and reading the news and I’m sure that — I’m just imagining,” Keough continued. “I would imagine he said all kinds of things to my mom that we didn’t know about.”
She also explained that Presley and Danny made it clear that they “don’t fight around the kids,” which is why she was never made aware of any private conversations.
“We didn’t know anything. We didn’t know about any allegations,” Keough admitted. “We didn’t know. We had no awareness of that.”
Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50, was accused of sexually abusing minors during the late 1990s and early 2000s but was never convicted of any wrongdoing.
“The one thing I know is that they were in love and that their love for one another was genuine,” Keough recalled to host Alex Cooper. “I was there and I remember. Everything else, I don’t know, because I wasn’t there for [it].”
Presley, who passed away at age 54 in January 2023 after suffering a cardiac arrest, addressed the allegations against her former husband in her posthumous memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown.”
“I never saw a goddamn thing like that,” Presley wrote. “I personally would’ve killed him if I did.”
Keough contributed to penning the book before it was published in October 2024.
The granddaughter of the late Elvis Presley reflected on her life growing up in the spotlight and the two years her mom was married to Jackson.
Keough said things “got bigger” during that time period.
“I think when she saw Michael’s life, there were things that he had that she didn’t have,” the “Runaways” alum confessed on the podcast. “She didn’t have a plane at the time or things like that. She then was like, ‘Oh, I should have a plane, and I should have this and that.’”
She admitted Presley had a “simple” marriage to her dad, Danny, whereas her relationship with Jackson was a whole different story.
“At home, like, she didn’t have 10 million assistants. She didn’t need all of that [with Danny],” Keough stated. “I think that changed.”
On the two-year anniversary of Presley’s death on January 12, Lisa Marie’s mom, Priscilla Presley, shared a picture of her daughter on Instagram with “You Were Always on My Mind” playing in the background.
The tune was originally made famous by the “King of Rock and Roll” in 1972.
“I miss you more than words can say,” Priscilla wrote. “I wish I could hold you, talk to you, see your smile just one more time. I wish you could see how much you are still loved, how deeply you are missed by all of us who carry you in our hearts. -Mom.”
